1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of wristwatches and wristbands and coupling assemblies for releasably joining wristbands to wristwatch cases.
2. Prior Art
In the field of wristwatches and wristbands there are a great many different coupling assemblies for releasably joining wristbands to wristwatches. Such releasable couplings are provided for a variety of reasons, a first being to allow easy detachment and replacement of worn or damaged wristbands, and a second being to allow designers and the ultimate consumers a wide choice of wristbands as regards design, quality and comfort. Known wristbands, also called bracelets, are made of leather, rubber, plastic, metal or combinations thereof, and known coupling elements usually include metal or plastic components. One of the most common of these coupling assemblies includes at the top and bottom of the wristwatch casing, a pair of spaced-apart lugs with a spring-pin extending between these lugs, and means for securing each end of the wristband to one of these spring-pins. While the design styles of wristwatch casings and watchfaces may be elegant, whimsical, modern, traditional, abstract or rugged, extension of these design aspects to coupling assemblies has been difficult and often expensive because the functional requirement usually override artistic consideration.
In all these wristwatch/wristband structures, it is preferred that the coupling elements on the wristwatch case and on the wristband be reasonably easy to couple and uncouple and be strong, flexible and reliable when coupled. An additional very important object in creating these couplings, is to coordinate the styles of the coupling elements, the housings and the wristbands for the optimum aesthetic appearance. To achieve these multiple objectives, namely, ease of coupling and uncoupling, reliability and aesthetics, all in a single coupling assembly, has been a difficult problem for wristwatch designers for many years.
There has always been a problem of the coupling elements not being consistent with the artistry achieved in the design of the watchcasings and the wristbands or bracelets themselves. Common hinge elements, pins and screws and so forth tend to protrude from surfaces which are otherwise graceful and smooth and part of an overall wristwatch casing structure. Hinge elements are thus inconsistent with most watchface designs and casings and even with most wristwatch bracelets and wristbands. Certain clever and creative designers have found ways to cause the coupling elements to appear to be similar to elements of the wristband, such as to appear as similar links in the otherwise flexible and pivotal links in a flexible bracelet. This takes considerable effort, not only to design but to manufacture and implement, and typically results in a substantially increased cost to the consumer.
The present invention provides a new coupling assembly for releasably joining wristband elements to a watch casing. This invention achieves a simple, strong, reliable and relatively inexpensive junction with no sacrifice to the design impression of the watch casing. Of many possible embodiments of this invention, two preferred embodiments of it are disclosed herein, each having a projecting element extending from either the casing or from the wristband and thence into a slot in the other component, and in both embodiments the coupling components become essentially hidden, with the wristband appearing to be seamlessly attached to the casing or to be an extension of the casing, without any observable connecting means.